10 Things We Don’t Do At Work Anymore

The workplace is changing. Long gone is the 9 to 5 – and out with it goes the fax machine and the pager. Changes in attitudes and technology have made many things in the office redundant, including – in some businesses – the office itself.

San Sharma (@sansharma) is community manager at WorkSnug.

What are the 10 things we don’t do ay work anymore?

1. Start at 9am. Finish at 5pm.
   For many, the idea of ‘working 9 to 5’ is nothing more than a Dolly Parton song and a long-gone working practice. In some countries, like here in the UK, flexible working has to be offered by all employers if a worker can provide a good case for it. Some companies still cling to the idea that staff needs to be in one place at the same time, but – to quote another pop song – the times they are a-changin’.
2. Always work in the office.
   Attitudes towards working hours have changed alongside developments in mobile technologies, like smartphones, headsets and tablets. These portable devices allow us to work anywhere and at any time, making the traditional office less essential. Staff can work on the move and from home, increasingly productive wherever they are.
3. Micromanage or be micromanaged.
   With a more relaxed attitude towards working hours and places, management practices have slowly relaxed too. Staff are less likely to be micromanaged, and more likely to be trusted to set their own agendas and work in a way they find most productive.
4. Have all meetings face-to-face.
   New technology is helping put an end to days of endless meetings in the workplace (and thank goodness). Collaboration tools like Basecamp and Trello allow team members to catch up on each other’s progress in real time, without having to schedule another meeting. Video conference software like Skype and Microsoft Link allow us to have meetings when we can’t get together in person, saving on travel costs and time.
5. Fax documents.
   New technology is also making old technologies, like the fax machine, redundant. When was the last time you used a fax machine?
6. Use pagers.
   …or a pager?
7. Print everything out.
   The tablet computer is quickly replacing the wad of printed materials you used to carry into meetings in days of yore. Saving documents in the Cloud allows you to always have them with you – on your laptop, smartphone or tablet; and it’s better for the environment too.
8. Waste stuff.
   Printing less is just one way in which modern workplaces are demonstrating a commitment to the environment; ride to work and recycling schemes are other ways- all focus on sustainability, a watchword for most businesses these days.
9. Dress casual on Fridays.
   Some workplace trends go in and out of fashion – like ‘dress down Fridays’. For many workers today, every day is a jeans and t-shirt day. In other sectors, the shift has gone the other way, and power dressing has never been more important.
10. Balance our phone between our ear and shoulder.
    In Hollywood, it’s cinematic shorthand for overworked employee, balancing their phone between their ear and shoulder, whilst shuffling through papers or banging away at a keyboard. In the modern workplace, this practice is replaced with a Bluetooth headset, keeping your hands free and your voice clear.

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What do you think?

What else don’t we do at work anymore? Is everything about the modern workplace an improvement? Or are some things worse? Let us know, in the comments below!

Photo credit: Retronaut